Andrew Luck pass tipped and intercepted by Luke Kuechly (Video)

Luke Kuechly became the hero for the Carolina Panthers as they held off a furious rally by the Indianapolis Colts.

Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly reminded Panthers fans of why he won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2013, as he came up clutch in the biggest moment of a Monday Night Football thriller.

Kuechly intercepted Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who heated up in the fourth quarter after an otherwise sluggish start. Here is a video of Kuechly’s interception that required incredible concentration.

Luck experienced what was looking like possibly the worst game of his career, but he threw two touchdown passes to lead the Colts to a tie. The Colts were trailing, 23-6, with ten minutes left in the fourth quarter. The game was ultimately sent to overtime, and Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri drilled the go-ahead field goal before Panthers kicker Graham Gano responded with one of his own. He nailed a 52-yard field goal after Luck’s interception, which marked a career long.

Kuechly’s interception helped the Panthers improve to 7-0, and he continues to be one of the elite defenders in the NFL. He sat out for a while earlier in the season with a concussion, but he returned in Week 4. This marks his first interception of the 2015 season, but he has already proven capable of grabbing them in the past as he had four in the 2013 season, which helped him win Defensive Player of the Year.

Although quarterback Cam Newton has shown clutch ability all season, Kuechly will be essential to the Panthers’ quest to seize home field advantage over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC.